Days Of Chaos
by Orion Gecko
Summary: Conflicting Rivalries- Another member has been added to the small group, and Shadow is getting paranoid about his last encounters with Sonic.
1. Chaotic Revelations

Sonic, Shadow, Knuckles, and Tails are all (c) Sega. Anyone else is (c) by   
their appropriate owners! This story follows on from my last story, 'The   
Band Break Up' so if you want you can read that first to make sure you   
know whats going on! Read and Review please!!!! I dedicate this entire   
story to Orin, Lonely Echidna and everyone's favourite STH writer, Dan   
Drazen! And thanx to Amadeus who gave me the name for this story!  
  
'If someone with multiple personality disorder threatens to kill themselves,   
is it considered suicide or a hostage situation?' - Unknown  
  
  
Days Of Chaos  
  
Two weeks later...  
Knothole was gone.  
The Freedom Fighters and the Chaotix were nowhere to be seen.   
  
Robotnik sat on his throne with a huge smile on his face. It was finally   
working out for him. The rebel leaders had been caught. The Guardian   
was also under his power. He now controlled all of Mobius. Snivley had   
been missing for days. He had no need for the little squirt anymore   
anyways. He had the Hedgehog as his lackey at the minute, and the   
Princess as his personal maid. The overweight overlander sat back in his   
chair and sighed with content.  
  
Miles away, in the heat of the Great Desert, were a band of animals.   
They were all what was left of the resistance against Robotnik. Everyone   
else had been captured and roboticized. There was no-one left. Bunnie,   
Tails, Julie-Su, Mighty and Espio were all what was left of the Freedom   
Fighters and the Chaotix. They had all given up.   
  
"We might as well give ourselves up!" Mighty sighed, thumping his  
back-pack with anger.  
  
Everyone sighed and nodded. It seemed that there was no way out at all,   
that Robotnik had indeed won. Tails looked up at his Aunt Bunnie with   
teary eyes. He had lost a lot of people in the last few weeks, his big bro,   
Aunt Sally and both of his parents again. Bunnie absent-mindedly put her   
hand on the young kits head. She knew how he felt, she felt the same. She   
missed Sonic and Sally as much as he did.   
  
"But we cahn't just give ah-selves up now! Too much depends on ah   
heads for us to just give it all up!" Bunnie exclaimed furiously.  
  
Julie looked up. The heat was making her brain hurt. Their food supply   
had almost run out, and they were forced to ration it. She put her head   
down on her arms. She missed Knuckles, and she missed living on the   
Island...  
  
"Thats it!" She yelled, and jumped up.   
  
Everyone looked at her in astonishment as the pink Echidna jumped   
around, her robotic dreads swinging around her face.  
  
"I can't believe I didn't think of this before! The Island! Robotnik hasn't   
glanced at it yet, we could get there and use the Emeralds against him and   
get everyone back!" She yelled.  
  
Julie looked over towards the other four, who were sitting up and   
shaking their heads.  
  
"It can't work." Mighty sighed, and burrowed his fingers into the sand.   
"Knuckles and Sonic are the only ones who can use the Emeralds, and   
even they cant Control it's Chaos at times."  
  
Espio, who had so far been in thought, sat up and looked into Mighty's   
face, his eyes shining with glee.  
  
"Who else do we know who can...how do I say this...Control Chaos?" he   
asked.   
  
Everyone else looked at him blankly. Tails' face lit up with a sudden   
understanding.  
  
"Chaos Control! Shadow! He can...but he's helping Ro-butt-nik now."  
  
Then his face was overcome with grief and sadness once again as he   
remembered how his big bro could perform the same feat. Bunnie picked   
him up and hugged him tight against her body. Everyone else looked   
hopeful for the first time in ages.   
  
"Then it's decided. We'll find Shadow in Robo-town and get him to help   
us!" Espio exclaimed.  
  
Mighty picked himself up. Julie hugged Bunnie, who was still holding   
Tails. And together, they started the long trek back to Robotropolis.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
So whadda ya think? Like it? Love it? Review anyways! I need reviews   
to carry this on! None of my other stories have had many reviews, so  
PLEASE REVIEW or I wont write anymore chapters!  
  
Oh yeah, and I'm planning to have Snivley and Shadow to have a special   
appearance in the next few chapters! And Sonic's roboticization was sort  
of different to everyone elses. Why you ask? Well, Review and you'll find  
out!   
  
Heh, I'm evil ent I?  
  
Ozzie 


	2. Conflict and Capture

I dedicate this entire story to Orin, Lonely Echidna and everyone's favourite   
STH writer, Dan Drazen! And thanx to Amadeus who gave me the name for  
this story!  
  
Days of Chaos  
  
Chapter 2 - A Distant Shadow  
  
Robotnik was lounging around on his chair. He was bored. The obese overlander  
sighed and looked out of his huge window. What had once been a beautiful dense  
forest was now a smoldering mass of ash. A small tapping noise broke the eerie  
silence. Robotnik swung his chair around angrily. It was Sonic. He was playing with  
a small jigsaw. The noise irritated the 'evil' dictator, but he gave a small smile at the   
hedgehog. He was one of the scientist's most successful projects. On the outside,  
the rodent appeared his normal, irritating self. Inside, however, implanted in his brain,   
was a small device which allowed restricted thought and movement. His new simpler   
mind made him act like a child, yet he did almost everything that was asked of him. If  
this test was 100% successful, then the technique would be used on other subjects.   
The princess perhaps. His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar alarm. The lights  
flashed on and off, and a huge screen slid down from the ceiling. Robotnik turned to  
it, surprised and worried. Who could it be? The screen flashed on, showing the outskirts   
of the dense city. Two all-to-familiar figures appeared. The brat. And the rabbit.   
Something else caught his eye. A black figure in the background. Ah, his faithful Shadow.  
His second favourite hedgehog. He would dispose of them soon enough.   
  
Just in case though…  
  
Bunnie slipped through the shadows, her hand tightly gripping her 'nephews', pulling him  
along quickly. The young kit crept as quietly as Bunnie did, slipping through dark alleyways   
and past haunting buildings. They separated, Bunnie slipping one way and Tails floating   
another. The partially roboticized rabbit crept through, the now deserted streets. She was  
unaware of the dark being following her. He crept closer, silent as death. She was easy enough  
to track…her robotic legs made a loud noise on the metallic floors. He pounced. She was caught  
off guard, and went straight to the floor, unconscious.   
  
Tails whirred his namesake up to the tops of the large, haunted-house, looking buildings. He   
was to keep out of the way of Shadow, just in case, and to find out any information on the roboticizer.   
He sighed. It wasn't easy getting over the fact that Sonic was gone. That he was probably never  
coming back. Tears filled the child's eyes, and forced him to land. Sonic wasn't going to come back.   
Ever. He heard soft footsteps behind him. They sounded very familiar. He spun around, and let out a  
cry of joy.  
  
"Sonic!"  
  
The blue hedgehog was back. The same perfectly combed quills, the same red, but slightly worn,   
sneakers. The same emerald eyes…no. Tails backed away slightly as Sonic revved up into a spin,   
aimed right for him! He turned and ran. But even inside he knew it was no use. Sonic was, after all,   
the fastest thing alive. He was right, as his blue idol smashed into his back, sending him flying over   
the edge of a very tall building. He plummeted for a few seconds, tears streaming down his face. He   
forgot he could fly, he forgot he was going to die. All he could think about was the fact that it was   
Sonic who had killed him. He landed. In a pair of blue arms.  
  
"Don't think that I'm gonna let you get away THAT easy 'little bro'. I'm sure that the Doc would  
loooove to see you." He sniggered.  
  
A laser blast ruffled the fur on his face. The blue hedgehog spun around.Espio and Mighty stood   
there, both with laser guns pointed at him. Mighty was already recharging his gun for a second shot.  
Sonic may have been illogical, but he knew when to retreat. He threw Tails down onto the floor and  
sped off in a ball of blue light. Mighty and Espio lowered their weapons and rushed to the kits side.   
Mighty picked him up and checked him over. Then they looked at each other. The feeling was mutual.   
  
-We've got to get out of here-  
  
They turned and ran out of sight, watched by a pair of desperate eyes.  
  
  
Julie-Su was currently tracing any known information to do with Robotnik's 'new and improved'   
de-roboticizer. She was inside the old (and regularly checked) base that was once occupied by Sonic   
and his uncle, using the computers to find any detail, no matter how small, to try and help get Knuckles   
back. A small tear ran down her cheek as she thought about her red boyfriend. She missed his voice, his  
strong arms around her. Her hands stopped typing and she fell, sobbing, across the keyboard. She missed  
the way he made her feel, how special she was, and how he had always defended her, in front of Vector, in  
front of the Brotherhood. He had turned his back on his own family just because they refused to let him love   
her. He had chosen her over his own flesh and blood. And here she was, crying. She sat back up again,   
brushed a stray dreadlock out of her eyes and started searching again. After a few minutes of total silence,   
Julie gave out a short gasp. There was a new file, only minutes old…entitled -  
  
RABBOT-B. Ro  
  
Bunnie had been captured. Julie shut down the software and raced out into the sweltering city. It had cooled   
down considerably since the morning, but sweat still ran down the echidna's face as she sped down the streets.  
The only thought on her mind was to get to her. To save her from a fate worse than death. A mixture of sweat  
and tears was running into her eyes and her heart was pounding so loud that she didn't hear or see the obstacle   
ahead of her. Metres away she saw it, and skidded to a halt. A robotic echidna, his white crescent still visible   
after his ordeal. He lifted a metallic paw up and swung it at her. She was still too much in shock to dodge, let alone   
fight back. She hardly felt the blow against the side of her head as she collapsed. She was unconscious before she  
hit the floor.  
  
  
To be continued…  
  
  
  
  
  
Hee, hee. I'm so evil, leaving it there. Will Julie-Su wake up in time? What has happened to Bunnie? Will Tails ever be  
able to get over the shock of Sonic nearly killing him? Whaddaya think of this chapter? Read and Review PLEASE!! I  
NEED REVIEWS! 


	3. Consistent Changes

I dedicate this entire story to Orin, Lonely Echidna and everyone's   
favourite STH writer, Dan Drazen! And thanx to Amadeus who gave me   
the name for this story!  
  
  
Days of Chaos  
  
Chapter 3 – 'I thought campers ate marsh mellows?'  
  
A black hedgehog wandered along the corridors of Robotnik's Head   
Quarters. His head hung low, quills shadowing his dark face even more   
and he scuffed his way along. Numerous cuts and bruises covered his   
face and body. That Rabbot girl certainly knew how to make him keep his   
distance. Bu her behavior had only accounted for a small amount of his   
wounds. His 'father figure' Robotnik had almost killed him when he   
explained how the brat fox had escaped, yet it was his blue brothers fault.   
The doctor had fawned over him for months now, giving Shadow the cold   
shoulder. Shadow had briefly thought of getting rid of the blue hedgehog   
simply so he would be treated better. He had pushed that out of his mind   
as he thought of the punishment he would get if he were ever found out.  
  
But what if he joined the other side? Surely he couldn't be treated any   
worse if he helped them. He stopped suddenly, as a familiar 'pat pat'   
could be heard down the long, but dark corridor. He sighed. The blue   
hedgehog came into view, and smirked as it saw him. Sonic was just   
waiting for him to slip up. He enjoyed watching Shadow suffer. He   
sauntered over to his black counterpart and shoved past him, almost   
knocking him off his feet, and careering into the wall, but it was an action   
that was meant. He was simply showing his dislike for the black  
hedgehog.   
That did it.   
  
The pink echidna lay still, as though she was dead. He wasted no time, but   
grasped her around the waist and slung her over his shoulder, and   
sauntered, quite calmly, out of the prison block. It was deserted, as usual,   
since there was hardly anyone left to take prisoner. He briefly wondered   
where he should go, where he would find the rest of them. He had no   
food supplies, no medical supplies, nothing to drink, and he hadn't got the   
slightest idea where he was going! This was very badly planned, he   
realised, but there was no turning back now. They would have noticed by   
now that the girl was gone. But to escape Robotroplis without any conflict   
  
would be hard with such a passenger on his back. He slipped her off his   
back and hid her in the shadow of a tall building. What he needed now   
was a weapon. A SWATbot battalion passed through the area every hour,   
and refueled. Most of the time there were no need to be fueled up again,   
apart from constant walking. The pitch hedgehog pricked up his ears. A   
long procession of 'robians' also came here, to operate the machines   
inside. He noticed two in particular, pink and green hedgehogs who had   
once been 'fakers' siblings. He followed the long rows of mobians into the   
building nearest them. Once inside, he noticed large boxes either side of   
the warehouse, marked BLASTERS.   
  
Convenient.  
  
  
Mighty and Espio were back at their 'camp', with an incredibly shocked   
kit. Mighty was sitting at a newly built fire, and Espio was sorting out   
their rationed food. None of them were talking. Julie and Bunnie were still   
nowhere in sight. The night was creeping over the reddened sky towards   
them, and they had promised to all meet back before nightfall. Tails was   
resting near the fire, his tails wrapped around him to keep him warm and   
his eyes wide as dinner plates. The subdued chameleon tossed a small   
amount of food over to him disgruntled team-mate. Tails sat up.  
  
"I thought we weren't going to eat until Bunnie and Julie came back."  
  
Mighty just shrugged and started to cook it as best as he could. The flames   
lapped over the vegetables and turned them a funny brown colour. Mighty   
pulled them out of the fire and tossed them out. One each.   
  
"I thought campers ate marshmallow." A voice observed.  
  
Everyone jumped up and whirled around to face where the voice had   
come from. It was quite dark now, and the only light was the fire. The   
stranger stood just beyond the light that the fire gave out. He stepped out   
into their watchful gaze and smiled. He dropped his load onto the sandy   
floor. Julie-Su. Tails squeaked and bounded over to the traveler and   
hugged him tightly.  
  
Later that night, all five of them were laughing and joking, sitting around   
the blazing fire, and eating burnt vegetables. Julie had come round at last   
and had her head bandaged up under her dreads. Tails looked at his black   
companion and cocked his head.   
  
"Why did you want to come and join our side?" he asked, eagerly.  
  
The black hedgehog frowned slightly. He thought for a few minutes.   
Everyone was quiet as he began to start talking.  
  
"Well…what's there to say? I mean, the egg has got Sonic doing his every   
bidding and he's got the Floating Island as long as he's got Knuckles. He   
doesn't care much about me anymore, as long as he's got those two, he   
could care less about anything else. That's why Snivley escaped. A very   
strong robotic echidna knocking you around is not the best thing for your   
body. I had Sonic around me, pushing me around, knowing if I retaliated   
then that'd be it for me. I'd be a robot quicker than you can say 'Chaos   
Control'. So I left. I needed a way of getting you guys to trust me, so I   
found Julie here in one of the prison blocks. I carried her out of the place   
and into a weaponry building. That's where I got these."  
  
He pulled open his backpack, which had been lying at his feet, and shook   
it upside down. Five top-of-the-range blasters fell out onto the sand,   
followed by a eight packets of hand grenades.  
  
"How'd you get these to fit into that small backpack?" Mighty asked.  
  
"Plot hole." Shadow replied, smirking..   
  
"But anyway, after I got these, it was getting dark, so I took Julie out of   
Robotroplis, and thought. While I was there, a certain blue hedgehog   
pounced on me and gave me these wounds."  
  
He showed them his arms and chest, where various bruises and cuts   
roamed his flesh.  
  
"I manage to kick him off and he banged his head against a brick wall. I   
left him there and went over to the places I had seen you in. You guys   
were all concentrated in the one area, the west side of the city, so I figured   
that's the direction your base would be. I mean, it wasn't THAT hard to   
figure out. You guys should really work on your battle tactics more often.   
Anyhow…it was the only thing I had to go on so I went that way. After a   
few miles in the sand, I got lost, but that was when I saw your fire, and I   
headed over towards you. You have no idea how relieved I was to get   
here."  
  
Tails sat back and looked up at the sky. What had once been a dark   
velvety blanket dotted with sparkles was now covered in thick clouds of   
pollution. He shivered, and looked downwards at the scuffed soles of his   
trainers. Julie rubbed her arms, trying to get the feeling back into them.   
The fire was getting low, so Mighty threw a few more branches onto it.   
The dancing flames licked around the chunks of brittle wood, before   
starting to devour it as vigorously as it had the others. Simultaneously, the   
small group lay back, nibbling the rationed food they had got left. One by   
one, they fell asleep, until only one was left awake.  
  
The you kit sighed. Why.   
Why did his hero have to hurt him like that?   
It only seemed liked yesterday that he and Sonic were racing through the   
Great Forest and Knothole, and listening to aunt Sally scold them both for   
it. That it was only this morning that Tails had last seem him smile that   
winning smile. That smile that made him feel happy, just knowing that   
Sonic would be there for him. But now he was gone. Another slave to   
Robotnik.   
  
As he turned over to go to sleep in the soft sand dunes, Miles Prower   
made a promise. That he would get his best friend back. Even if it was   
going to kill him.  
  
  
~ Fin ~  
  
  
Hi everyone! Hope ya liked this chapter, and just to let you know, there's   
more where this came from!! Oh yeah…and R & R PLEASE!!!!! Luv yas   
all!  
  
~ Orion ~ 


	4. Conflicting Rivalries

I dedicate this entire story to Orin, Lonely Echidna and everyone's   
favourite STH writer, Dan Drazen! Thanx to Amadeus who gave me   
the name for this story, and Anthony Bault who has been my most

consistent reviewer!! 

Chapter 4 – 

In the heart of the dank city of Robotroplis, a large and rather egg-shaped overlander was in an exceptionally good mood. He and his hedgehog lackey were inside the medical wing, where the blue 'hog was getting his head patched up. While Sonic was having antibiotics rubbed into a rather large gash in his head, his master was dancing around the room in delight.

"It's wonderful, isn't it my little blue slave? That black imitation of yours has led me to those pitiful rebels without even realising it!" Robotnik exclaimed, jumping up and down on the spot.

"If it's such a good plan, how come I have to let that faker beat me up?" His rodent helper snapped, before howling with pain from the antibiotics.

The obese ruler stopped jumping long enough to explain his plan to Sonic, who was now being bandaged up by the bossy and rough Robian doctor.

"You see, hedgehog, Each Mobian who goes through the roboticizer is loyal to me, yourself included. Shadow was slightly different. I couldn't put him in the roboticizer because it would be going against my grandfather's wishes.  So instead, I implanted him with a small tracking chip, just above his left ear.  This means, hedgehog, that wherever Shadow goes, we can follow him. And those accursed rebels." He laughed maniacally.

He walked out of the room, still laughing. After a few moments, Sonic followed his egg-shaped master out into the long corridor. The morning was just breaking through, and if it not have been for the clouds of pollution draped over the sky. Sonic found himself wishing he could be back in Knothole, watching the sun setting in blazes of reds and yellows. But in an instant the feeling was over, and he trotted into the main roboticization room. Robotnik was there, peering into a screen on one of the smaller computers. 

"Those rebels have crossed over three quarters of the Great Desert, and are heading towards the shore. I wonder what they're heading there for." The doctor mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Sonic dragged a chair over to the console and stood on it, looking at the screen.

"Hey, boss, isn't that the Floating Island?" he asked, pointing at a small area of land on the map. The dictator smiled.

"Sonic, my hedgehog, I do believe you've given me an idea!" he exclaimed, using the blue hedgehog's name for the first time in months.

  
"You head there…but first, bring Knuckles up here. He will be able to help you out on this. It was his island after all."

Sonic grabbed the communicator off his belt.

"Hey Knucklehead…get'cha bot butt up here pronto. Doc wants ta see ya." He shut off the walkie-talkie before the crimson robot could give an answer.  Minutes later, the red bot's presence was followed by a whole squadron of ULTRAbots. 

"Mechabot…stand inside the roboticizer." Robotnik's eerie voice rang out. 

The crimson robot did so, and waited patiently as Sonic chained him arms and legs up tightly in metallic bonds. As he moved back, the machine started up, and a bright light flashed throughout the room. A pearly ray of white light sped down the tube, transforming the robot from into an organic being. 

As the tube slid back up, the now de-roboticized Knuckles the Echidna stood wearily, regaining his senses. After a few moments of realization, he began tugging at the bonds enclosed around his ankles and wrists. He howled with frustration as he had only succeeded in rubbing his skin raw. Robotnik approached him cautiously; trying to keep his distance from the echidna's gloved hands. 

As he got closer, Knuckles lunged at him, the chains rattling as he did so. The doctor pulled out a needle full of a silvery white liquid, and approached him again. The crimson guardian was getting worried now; the smell of the liquid told him it was theryosophyne, a very strong, but sickly smelling, drug. It would knock him out cold in a matter of minutes. A bot approached the wary echidna from behind, and gripped him hard for his master to inject him with the liquid. 

The robot loosed him, and Knux fell to his knees, his eyes drooping. The doctor laughed evilly. The same robot that had held the unconscious Mobian before gripped him again and strapped him into an upright position. Robotnik gleefully stepped back and pulled a lever. A thick tube slipped down over Knuckles, and was followed shortly by a red light, dancing lower and lower, until enveloping the echidna, bathing him in a warm light. All of a sudden, the red light vanished and the being within stood upright on its own. Robotnik laughed.

"Welcome to the community, Guardian." He chuckled, removing the bonds from his new slave. Knuckles' usually bright, amethyst eyes were dulled to a darker shade of violet, a sign that usually showed when he was angry. 

"As your 'test run', you will accompany Sonic to the Floating Island, and bring back the rebels as soon as they get there. Is that clear?" he asked. The two before him saluted mockingly.

"Crystal sir!" They exclaimed simultaneously, and left the room. 

Meanwhile, a few hundred miles away, the small resistance sank down onto the ground, having the only rest that they had had all day. Tails sat up and gazed into the distance in front of him. They were almost at the ocean, close to the Floating Island. The young kit could see the majestic miracle from even this far away, and could make out the mountains and the dense jungle.

He sighed. The last time he had seen the island, it had been on a vacation with Sonic and Sally. They had been visiting Knuckles, and while they talked (very unusual for the blue hedgehog) he had wandered off, and got lost in the nearby jungle. It had taken Knuckles three hours to find him, and as soon as he got back to Sally, she had hugged him and he had had to spend the rest of the trip standing next to her.

The kit pricked his ears up. There was a funny humming noise. He had heard it somewhere before...he was sure of it. The humming turned to buzzing, and the buzzing turned to a soft roar of an engine. A HOVERCRAFT! 

Before he could blink, a rough hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and had hurled him over the other side of a sand dune. He had the sense to curl up before he hit the ground, and successfully landed, skidding down the soft sand to the space in between the two dunes. He was followed by Mighty and Espio, and finally, Julie and Shadow. 

They head the craft stop, and a sharp thud of something hitting the ground. Shadow peered around the sand mound, and was slightly bemused as to what he saw.

"I knew ya weren't any good 'Knux'. Trying to attack _this_ hedgehog has just earned you a free ticket to starvation. And now I've dealt with you, I'm gonna get on that island of yours and personally kill those buddies of yours. See you around Knucklehead." The blue hedgehog spat, his voice loaded with hate. 

He glanced beyond the bloodied body of his 'partner' and saw Shadow's face. Shadow gasped, and pulled his head around the sandy bank, his heart pounding. A sudden slam told him that Sonic had clambered back into his Hovercraft, and moments later, the engine roared with life, and the vehicle started to move off. 

Behind the dune, Shadow was panting. He knew Sonic had seen him. But what had unnerved him was the fact that he hadn't even bothered to come and get him. Like it didn't matter. Julie grabbed his arm. Her eyes searched his, looking for some sort of acknowledgement of what had gone on. 

"Knuckles…" she whispered, before bolting out of her hiding place. Shadow glanced at the others.

"Stay here." He commanded shortly. Mighty sat down, and Espio huddled closer to Tails. Or rather, where Tails had been a few seconds ago. Now the young kitsune was scrambling over the top of the dune, towards Julie, and the bruised and battered Knuckles. As soon as she reached him, she flung her arms around his lithe form and hugged him to her, tears streaming down her cheeks. She nuzzled his face. Then, as quickly as the tears had started, they stopped again. The pink echidna glanced over to the dune, where the rest of the gang were staring at her.

"What …" she snapped "Are you looking at?" 

Shadow and Tails continued their path towards her, and upon reaching her, Shadow slipped his arms underneath the wounded Guardian, and gently lifted him, carrying him back to the others. As soon as they were behind the dunes, Espio cracked open one of their last water bottles, and used it to wash Knuckles' bloody body down. It was nightfall, and the small group were sitting around  a small fire. They heard a groan from behind them, and they all stared as Knuckles stirred in his sleep, beginning to come round.

He opened his eyes, but the light stung them. He shut them again, and lifted a hand to his head, groaning loudly. His head was thumping and he felt hot. His entire body stung, from the numerous cuts and gashes he had sustained. He made a vague effort to open his battered eyelids again, and this time he saw several coloured blobs dancing in front of him.

"Is he ok?" he heard.

That voice…it sounded like his Julie. He blinked several times, and felt something pressing against his lips. He parted them, allowing the thing to enter. A wet, sweet taste encased his mouth. He knew that taste, it was fresh spring water. The liquid slid down his raw throat, healing it with its pure silk feel. The shapes in front of him were becoming clearer with every second that passed. 

"Hold on Knux." A loud purple blob exclaimed. 

He groaned again and held his head. His gloves were soaking wet. But he felt stronger now that he had drank something. He used his hands to push him up into a sitting position, and his vision suddenly became clear again. 

"Tails? Mighty? Jules?" he croaked, before coughing again. 

He looked around and a familiar scowl appeared on his face.

"Espio…I'm gonna kill you!" he yelled, and lunged and the chameleon, grabbing him by his long purple tail.

"Ow…leggo Knux dude!" he yelped. 

"Well, he seems ok." Mighty laughed, rolling onto his back. "Unless you count the bruises an' cuts an' stuff." He added, chuckling at Espio, who had sat a fair distance away from Knuckles. 

The red Mobian was, at that point, being squeezed to death by Julie, who was refusing to let go of his neck. He was losing his breath and gradually turning from his usual tanned colour, to a funny blue. He prised her hands from around his neck, and pulled her into a warm hug. Shadow, who had been rather quiet for a while, looked at Knuckles, and asked.

"What happened then?"

Knux's amethyst eyes turned a shade darker as he remembered. Still holding Julie in his arms, he settled himself into a more comfortable position to explain.

"Well, at first all I could remember was seeing Sally and Sonia being roboticized. Sonic was too, but he was the test subject for the 'latest' form of the roboticizer…having not his body roboticized, but his mind and free will taken from him somehow. I was taken away to be tortured. They wanted my knowledge of the Chaos Emeralds, and my island before I was turned into a robot. Needless to say, I did not talk. Eventually, Robotnik threw me into the roboticizer and roboticized me. 

It must have been a while later, but the next thing I can remember is being deroboticized, and I felt as though my body was on fire! The pain was intense. Then I saw Robotnik approaching me with a needle filled with theryosophyne, and I was knocked out almost instantly. I woke up to find myself walking. I didn't know why, but it was as though it was acting on its own accord. I tried to stop myself from walking, but I couldn't. I felt like I was trapped in my own body. Sonic was walking in front of me, and when we had started to fly out over the Great Desert, he stopped and told me that there was no way to control the chip that was inside me. He said I would get used to it, and I was going to help him destroy the island, and you guys too. I guess I got really angry,  and it must have disabled the chip, cause I grabbed Sonic round the neck and slammed him up the wall. Then he pulled out a laser and shot me…I guess then, I must have been knocked out, because the next thing I know is waking up here with you guys." Knuckles finished. 

Julie  hugged him again, and her Knuckles kissed her gently. She frowned thoughtfully. Something wasn't quite right, but she dismissed it as quickly as she thought of it. 

Tails was lying on the sand, his twin tails wrapped around him for warmth. A soft wind had begun to blow, causing the young kit to feel chilled, and he shivered. How he wanted to be curled up in his nice warm bed, with the comfort of knowing that all those he loved were close by. He laughed to himself gently. A few weeks ago and the only thing he was really worried about was losing at dirt hockey. Now he had been plunged into a deadly game, where you could either win, or die. And there would be no restarts in this game. Once it was game over, that was it. Tails closed his eyes, yawned loudly, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

One by one, the others drifted off as well, until only Shadow was left awake. He got up, and plodded over to the latest addition to the group. He checked him over, searching for just one scrap of evidence that would give him the right to knock him off the team. Nothing. 

He knew, that if Knuckles joined the gang, then he would become the leader, on the island, if not sooner. And if there was anything that Shadow hated, it was being second in command. Being ruled over, told what to do. That was what Sonic had been like to him. His boss.

He leaned back from the sleeping echidna, and sighed, unsatisfied. He would keep an eye on him, just to make sure. He knew that there was something wrong, something…out of place. Even when he beat Sonic up and ran out of the city, he knew it had been too easy. He knew that something wasn't right. 

He curled up, a few metres away from the group, and fell asleep. He was probably just being paranoid…

So…whaddaya think so far? Sorry this chapter took so long, but school takes up a lot of my time.

R & R

Orion

X x X


End file.
